


compendium

by savethelastslice



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gladiator AU, Neighbours AU, One Shot Collection, depictions of violence and fighting, hanahaki disease au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-03-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 09:56:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,279
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13702104
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/savethelastslice/pseuds/savethelastslice
Summary: A series of Breath of the Wild one shots, mostly in alternate universes.





	1. Silent Princess

Not many students at Hyrule Academy did their research project in Biological studies. Many seniors who had gone before had faced them with deep dark eyebags and a half-crazed smile. They had told them tales of bacteria that refused to behave. Of roots that didn’t grow.

Then came the incident with the lizards and the three hundred hydromelons, and pretty much no student in the Academy did a Biology research project again. But there again, not many students were Zelda.

Nothing the other students and seniors said could dissuade her. Eventually, the teachers accepted her project topic on Silent Princess propagation. Her resolve in this, combined with the cold treatment she gave to the more vocal and condescending of those who tried to persuade her otherwise, garnered her the same nickname.

Incidentally, harvesting of Silent Princesses for experimentation proved extremely easy for Zelda. Opposite of the where she lived was an empty house. No one had lived there for quite a while and the garden was unkempt and overgrown. And in the midst of the long green blades, a large number of Silent Princesses had found it quite a comfortable spot to grow.

And so came the long hours in the lab. Most days, Zelda would cross the road to harvest a plant or two. Within the next week, another would grow back in its place.

As the submission date drew closer, the time spent in the lab got longer and longer. By the time August rolled around, she often reached home at around 10 p.m.. 

One night in September, the fruits of her labour were ready for harvesting. The results of her experiments were almost all out, and the trendline shown was extremely promising. That day, she had stayed back in the lab till midnight, when her supervising teacher had dragged her out by the arm and had promised repeatedly that her results would still be there the next day. Zelda had hurried home, her head spinning with fatigue and exhilaration. She had flung herself into bed, and had thought about finishing the last set of experiments the next day. She had fallen asleep still considering whether to harvest two or three stalks the next day.

Saturday morning proved bright and cooling. Zelda’s alarm rang at 9 - the lab opened at 10 so that gave her an hour to prepare. She didn’t feel tired despite the late night she had and so happily, she got out of bed and headed to the shower.

Yesterday, her teacher had been very impressed with the results of her experiments. She was glad she managed to get somewhere. If not, it would have been quite an embarrassment given how she had insisted on taking up this subject, arguing that it was best to conduct such an extended research project in an area of one’s passion.

Still humming, she picked up her backpack from where she had tossed it on the couch last night. She grabbed a muffin from the box the fridge (a gift from Mipha, homemade; she had been very concerned with the long hours Zelda was spending). She gazed out of the window through the gap in her curtains to find.. To find...

She sprinted to the door and flung it violently open. Her backpack thumped to the floor. In the distance, birds continued to chirp as she stood there, stupefied. For across the road, a horrific sight awaited her. 

The grass of the garden opposite was of a uniform length, at about 1/20 their usual height. And there were no. More. Silent. Princesses.

Zelda gaped.

She closed her mouth. She fumed.

The door opened from across the road, and a young man stepped out. He wore nothing but a pair of well-worn trousers, and he yawned as he stretched. He slowly made his way to the mailbox and peered inside.

This guy, Zelda thought. This guy. It’s all because of him that the flowers are _gone_. She stormed up to his mailbox. He didn’t notice her. She smacked the metal box, hard.

He jumped a foot into the air, and looked around wildly before his eyes landed on her. He hurriedly blinked away the last bits of sleep. Zelda took a deep breath.

“Sir,” she began. She was gritting her teeth, and they were starting to hurt. “Sir, what in the name of Hyrule are you doing in this house? And more importantly, _what did you do to my flowers? _”__

__Her hiss was sinister, and he backpedalled a little. “I - I just moved in yesterday?”_ _

__“Yesterday?” Zelda could only recall the numbers on her computer screen, and the smell of ethanol that pervaded the lab rooms. She took a better look at the house. The signpost stating that the place was for sale had the words “SOLD” in big, red letters. The chipped white paint was no more. There were lights installed in the house. Oh._ _

__The young man nodded quickly. “The - the flowers… the boss said that I could mow the lawn and stuff when I asked…”_ _

__“The boss? You mean Bolston?”_ _

__“Yeah.”_ _

__“The snake! I wrote in for permission to harvest the flowers until the end of this month, and he agreed to let them remain in this state till then.” She squatted down, head bowed and back hunched, running her fingers through the freshly mowed grass. A deep sigh. She stood up._ _

__“I’m sorry about this. I needed a few to finish my research but it looks like I need to go find another patch. I...I guess I’ll go home.” Without waiting for a reply, Zelda turned around at crossed the street. Her new neighbour watched the defeated slump of her shoulders as the entered the door._ _

__Zelda wrote in to her supervisor about not going to the lab that day, explaining that she might as well finish what could be done of her report at home. The next day, she’d have to start looking for another harvest patch. But Silent Princesses were a really rare find, and it wasn’t like she had that much time left. Growing her own in the lab defeated the purpose of harvesting ones from the wild and besides, that would take too long. She had only been a stalk or two from finishing, if only he had moved in a day later…_ _

__Slowly, she worked on her report. Lunch was a simple sandwich, then she continued on. By late afternoon, she contemplated running down to the local bakery to get a bowl of hot soup for dinner. Or perhaps a pizza?_ _

__She was just about decided on the pizza when the doorbell rang. Zelda picked herself up from the sofa and rushed to the door. The person outside the peephole was the young man from earlier._ _

__Zelda felt her face flush as she recalled the days’ events. She hadn’t even explained things properly, let alone introduce herself. She hadn’t spoken _that_ loudly, right? Or had she yelled…?_ _

__She thought for a while. Yeah no, she had been awfully rude._ _

__Then she thought back to the young man yawning on his front porch. He hadn’t been wearing a shirt. Suddenly, his lean stomach showed itself in high definition in her mind. His long hair had been pulled back in a messy ponytail. His eyes had been electric blue._ _

__Ah, crap. She had embarrassed herself and worse still, he was hot. While that didn’t make what she did more awful than it already was, it sure made her feel ten times worse._ _

__The doorbell rang again. Zelda took a deep breath. Even worse if she didn’t answer the door, right? Besides, the lights were clearly on. She took hold of the doorknob and opened the door._ _

__“Hello?” Her new neighbour gave a cautious smile. He held out a hand, In the other, he carried a large sack. “I never got to introduce myself. I’m Link, a student at Hyrule Academy.”_ _

__Zelda gave a firm handshake. “Zelda. I’m so sorry about earlier. It’s just that… I was doing a research project on the flowers that grew in your yard. I was two stalks away from finishing and well, now they’re gone.” It came out in a rush to explain herself. Link looked rather taken aback._ _

__“I’m really sorry, I didn’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “But, uh, you seemed really upset and -” Zelda cringed. “I’m a geography student, so I do map cartography and stuff. Some of it involves quite a bit of travelling so I get to see the wildlife and, argh. Just, this is for you. As an apology.” He thrust the sack to her._ _

__She took the sack from him and opened it. Inside, the blue and white of Silent Princesses glowed softly. Correction, he was hot and nice. The irrational part of her was already swooning._ _

__“I didn’t know what you needed, so I just uprooted the whole thing. I know a patch that grows not too far from here, but not many people know it ‘cause it’s like in the woods and stuff.” His cheeks were a faint pink._ _

__“Thank you so much,” Zelda breathed. Her project. She could finish it now, on schedule, on track._ _

__“And um, I know we got of on the wrong foot but,” he tugged at his shirt collar. “Would you like to go out some time? To get to know each other better, being neighbours and all.”_ _

__Zelda blinked. “Are you asking me out?”_ _

__Link jerked his head up in shock. “Not really? I mean...it doesn’t have to be, if you don’t want it to. It can just be neighbours going out, ah, I don’t know.”_ _

__She laughed. “Sure. do you have any plans for dinner tonight?”_ _

__“Ah, no. Not yet.”_ _

__“Well, I don't either. Want to go for dinner?” He looked up from staring at the floor of her veranda, meeting her gaze. He nodded shyly and smiled, and they stayed that way for a little while._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> one shot collections are such great avenues for writing practice hehehe :3
> 
> this one was written rather quickly, and was inspired by a friend who did do a long biology research project. i tried to help harvest things but i stepped on them so i got banned from (trying to) help (oops)
> 
> do let me know what you think! thank you for reading ^^


	2. champion of the people who don't believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The audience erupted once more with loud cheering. Zelda felt as if something was on her, and she turned to meet Link’s gaze once more. He held her gaze for a moment before turning away. This time, she could see his mouth twisted in a contemptuous half-smile. Carrying his bloodied sword and shield, Link turned his back on the crowd and walked out of the arena.
> 
> Gladiator AU in which Link is a Champion and Zelda is the king's daughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: depictions of violence, and potentially disturbing imagery

As people started to flood the entrance, Zelda was shoved from all sides. Soon, the backs of the multitude obscured the path ahead from view. Panting, she pushed ineffectually against the sweaty walls of flesh.

The blazing desert sun beat down from above. It dug into crown of her head, clawing at her scalp. She squinted as she looked up at the orange expanse bordered by the tall heads of the surrounding crowd. She felt small.

She went on tiptoes, craning her neck to see past the towering shoulders. Before her was a towering sandstone arch, the entrance to the West Sands Arena. The entry was packed with people, and by the outside walls beside the archway, she could see several merchants grasping tickets with arms raised high, calling for last-minute buyers. Small crowds were forming around them, people not wanting to miss out on the big event. People flowed into the entrance like a funnel, the arch dark with the shadow it cast. Beyond this, a bright light of what awaited on the other side.

“Move out of the way, vai!” A large, strong hand gripped Zelda’s delicate shoulders and tossed her back roughly. She found herself gazing at the well-defined back of a muscular Gerudo woman. The Gerudo stood several feet taller. She never looked back at Zelda, no apology, no acknowledgement. Zelda could still feel the phantom grip on her shoulders minutes later. She wondered it all Gerudo were this tough. Where she had grown up, in the outskirts of Gerudo territory, she could not remember having seen an unfit Gerudo.

Zelda shrunk back. Her hands, clasped tightly to her chest, felt her heart quicken. She felt lightheaded. She had never been here before. Where was her father?

People continued to stream in from the road. Zelda heard the familiar scrape as her sandalled feet slid back over bright sand-scattered cobblestones. Her shoes were a size too big, and sand had gotten everywhere. She felt it crunch underfoot with every step, a familiar enough feeling. You could never be free from sand in Gerudo. Locals wore covered shoes or, better still, sand boots. But these sandals were given to her by her father’s attendant for the day. Zelda didn’t suppose she had a choice on the matter. She wondered if her father knew much about Gerudo territory. No self-respecting local would wear such open sandals. Sand abrasions wasn’t something anyone wanted.

She squinted helplessly at the unfamiliar faces that surrounded her. Where was the attendant from earlier on? Wandha. Wandha was her name. After giving Zelda her dress and sandals, after doing her hair and makeup to meet her father for the occasion, Wandha had escorted Zelda to the clearing and had disappeared. A curious thing, for Wandha was taller and more well-built than the average Gerudo. Zelda suspected she had intentionally left her alone.

The sun continued to glare down from its zenith. Today seemed especially hot. Either that or the sun shone more harshly down on central Gerudo, the peripherals escaping its true wrath. Zelda hoisted her long, white skirt to her ankles. She turned around, and started wedging her way to the back of crowd against the current. They crashing into her like waves do to rocks, but they flowed pass. The material under her fingers was soft and smooth except for the occasional grains of sand caught in the folds. The bunched cloth in her hands were heavy. She had never worn such fine clothing in her life. Her hair, too, was braided back elaborately, standing out with her light blonde colour.

She stumbled out of the stifling mass and over to a palm tree to catch her breath. Tapping a passing Gerudo child on the shoulder, she motioned to the crowd. “Excuse me, but could you tell me what’s going on?”

The young vai stared up at Zelda. Her eyes were fixated on the gold piece Zelda wore around her neck. Zelda’s hands moved up to touch it self-consciously. 

That broke the spell, and the vai jerked her head up to look Zelda in the eye before running off in a blur of grey. Zelda started after her but stopped. Dismayed, she watched her leave. There had been something about those eyes - they reminded Zelda of the desert landscape she had seen from the horse ride earlier, a wide, empty, barren expanse.

She sighed, and continued to survey her surroundings. All races were gathered: the Gerudo, the Zora, the Gorons, the Rito, the Hylians. A rare sight, usually they didn’t wander from their domains in such large numbers. Which meant that something important was going on. Then, a flash of blue.

“Zelda, I’ve been looking everywhere for you! Where in hyrule were you?” Wandha stood before her, arms crossed. The Gerudo warrior wore the royal blue sash that signified her service of the king. In her right hand was a traditional Gerudo spear. The metal glinted in the sunlight. “Come with me. The march past is about to begin.”

“Wh-where are we going?” Zelda cried out as she was pulled by the wrist in the direction of the crowd. “What’s going on?”

“We’re going to meet your father. Be on your best behaviour.” Wandha’s grip was tight and unyielding. Even when she had been braiding Zelda’s hair she had not been gentle, tugging at her locks roughly. Zelda had winced, but had remained silent, not wishing to anger her.

Wandha had been looking for her? Zelda fell silent once more as she stumbled, unable to keep up with Wandha’s large strides. She watched as Wandha swept her spear to part the people to let them through and her stomach churned uncomfortably, instincts kicking up a fuss.

The entryway was damp and dark. Zelda smelled sweat and strong perfume, and a sickly sweet smell she couldn’t place. The footsteps of the people echoed through. Then they were out and she was blinded by the sudden light.

When Zelda blinked away the brightness, she took a sharp intake of air. The arena was massive, the sloped stands filled with more people than Zelda had ever seen in her life. The crowd roared as music played, trumpets and drums keeping pace with the frenzy. To her ears, the noise melded and melted into a numb mass of sound. She felt strangely distant, as if she were spectating this scene, not partaking in it.

“Place your bets for Round One!” In the stands beside the entrance, a Goron went round the stands, collecting money in a box he had around his neck. “The Champion Urbosa, Gerudo’s Fury is up against the mighty Molduga!”

“I’ve seen her beat one before,” Zelda heard a female Rito comment smugly. “I’m betting 200 rupees on Urbosa.”

A Molduga. They terrorised the entirety of eastern Gerudo, swarming and consuming towns whole. And here, someone was not only fighting against one, but had won before. Instantly, she knew where she was. West Sands Arena. Not only was it the main stage for sporting events, it was the home of the Champions. Today, she would see them fight in the flesh.

“Who might you be, pretty lady?” An elderly Zora leered as his webbed hand caressed Zelda’s lower back. When Zelda reared back with a small scream, he leaned forward with a smirk. “Why so scared? I’m not scary.”

“This way.” Wandha, who had been looking around the stands, started to the left. Her grip slipped from Zelda’s wrist, and she lunged back to grab her forearm. “Why are you so slow?”

“A Zora, he -” Wandha continued to march forward, and Zelda shut her mouth, decided that it was no use. In here, that sweet smell from earlier was even stronger. She felt the ghost of the Zora’s hands travel down her back. She felt sick to her stomach.

They ascended a flight of stairs between the stand. Soon, they approached the large throne where a large man dressed completely in the royal blue was seated. His hair and beard was thick and white. His fingers tapped impatiently on the armrest, and his head was propped up by his other hand. His eyes were a steely blue. Beside him, two Rito with blue sashes held Korok leaves and fanned him slowly.

Wandha approached the throne, bending on one knee. “Your grace. I have brought your daughter.”

She spoke loudly and clearly. The chatter of the nearby crowds died down. Zelda felt the weight of a thousand pair of eyes on her.

The man, the king, sat up and leaned forward. Zelda felt a push on her back, and she was shoved forward. She remembered a piece of what Wandha had instructed her to do. Shakily, she descended on one knee, head bowed. Her long hair fell like a curtain beside her face. She stared hard at the sandy ground. The thick fabric of her dress cushioned her knee, and she felt none of the sharp grains that covered the floor. Her head burned from the glare of the sun.

Her father, King Rhoam. She had been raised in the outskirts of Gerudo, and had never known her father until a letter arrived a week ago, requesting her presence today.

“Ah yes, I’ve been expecting you. My darling daughter… Zelda.” At the hesitation, Zelda shifted her gaze as far up as it would go without moving her head. She saw the feet of a servant shuffled back into place a little way from the chair.

She felt hollow. He didn’t even remember her name. Around her, the crowd murmured.

“Please rise, and come kiss your father.” Zelda stood up. She placed one foot before the other and made it up the steps of the throne. She leaned forward and planted a light kiss on his leathery cheek. Underneath the strong scent of safflina, he smelled of alcohol.

Her eyes met his as she pulled back, and a shiver slithered up her spine. Her breath came out as shaky as her footsteps as she was guided to stand beside his throne. 

They were at the lowest level of the stands. Before them was a short wall, then a deep drop to the sandy bottom of the arena.

“Let the parade begin!” boomed the voice of King Rhoam. Around them, cheers erupted.

“May the Champions enter!” A Zora proclaimed above the noise. “May the games entertain! May the games _glorify_!”

When she started to go up on her toes, she was hit sharply on her shoulders. Her heels hit the ground, hard. She gulped. She turned to look at King Rhoam, but his gaze was fixed on afar, and he didn’t care.

She turned to see who stood behind her. Two Gorons with blue sashes stood at rigid attention. 

“Eyes in front.” The Goron on the left said without looking at her. His grip on his hammer tightened, and Zelda flinched and whipped to stare at the front once more.

And then - then! The Champions came into view. Zelda stared in awe as they marched past. In the lead was a huge Goron, even larger than the two behind her. He wore a crimson sash under a chain fitted with a blood red diamond. Red, the colour of the Champions.

Behind him was a grey Rito with a crimson scarf, a red female Zora with a sash. A Gerudo vai who tied the crimson cloth around her waist. Many others of the four races followed. All had their heads held high as they marched, their weapons glinting in their grips. All were silent. Then, in the midst of them all. A single Hylian.

His hair was ash blond, pulled back into a small ponytail. He stood a head shorter than everyone else, save perhaps for the first female Zora she had seen. His facial features were delicate, almost pixie-like. But his body was covered in old scars. His eyes were shocking electric blue, and they were staring right at her.

Even after he left, Zelda still felt held by that gaze. They had blazed brightly, coldly. They were accusatory, that was the word. Yet she had never met him before.

“Anything troubling you, dear?” King Rhoam’s voice. And there seemed to be a new presence in her, a small voice warning her that there better not be anything wrong. Not right now, not in front of all these people.

She looked up from where she had been staring at the ground, zoning out. She shook her head. “No, Father.”

“Good.” The shuffling of cloth denoting movement of a large being. The feeling of the blazing sun, harsh rays glaring unflinchingly down on her. King Rhoam didn’t turn to face her again.

“Ladies and gentlemen, for Round One we have a treat for you. Our very own Gerudo champion Urbosa will be facing the Molduga that razed Kira Village to the ground! May I present to you, Gerudo’s Fury!”

Down in the inner walls of the pit, one of the iron gates rumbled as it was lifted. From the shadows, the Gerudo vai from earlier walked out to a thunderous applause. She smirked as she waved to the crowd. By the scarf around her waist, Zelda saw the scabbard of a sickle. She carried no shield.

“Unleash the Molduga!” The Zora screamed.

Urbosa stood with her hips cocked, one hand on her hip and the other resting on the hilt of her sickle. Silence, as she cracked her neck and surveyed the crowd. The crowd stared back, anticipating.

The creaking of enormous iron gates, and the sharp clang of breaking chains. Urbosa slowly unsheathed her sickle. She positioned her feet apart, lowering her stance.

Then the iron gates slammed up, and something roared from the depths. The arena quaked violently as a _thing_ emerged from the depths of the shadows. The creature dived into the sand and where it travelled, giganting dunes appeared.

Urbosa charged forth in a flash, slicing at the tips of the fin that protruded from the surface. With a cry, the Molduga erupted high into the air. Zelda’s eyes followed it up, up, a fish the size of a palace suspended momentarily in the air. Sand flew everywhere, and Zelda shielded her eyes. She felt them land on her, sticking to her sweaty skin, burrowing into the folds of her dress. Next to her, the two Rito waved their Korok leaves, fanning sand away from the king.

She saw Urbosa standing back from the Molduga. Her smirk was the only warning she had before she snapped her fingers, calling down lightning. A flash of bright yellow and green, and the feeling of all the hairs on her skin standing on end. The Molduga collapsed back to the sand, completely charred. It jerked once, and was still.

Just like that! An enemy of the people eliminated! The arena was filled with screaming. Zelda was breathing hard from the adrenaline, but she couldn’t hold back her smile.

Matches continued on and on: a Zora with an army of Lizalfos, a Rito with a Lava Talus, and more. By the third match Zelda found herself cheering on with her father and the rest of the stadium. In all the matches, the Champions made clean kills, neatly and swiftly taking down the enemy with a grace that floored her completely.

“And now, for the match you’ve all been waiting for!” roared the Zora above the frantic yells. “Our one, and only, Hylian Champion!”

The Hylian from earlier. She had been wondering about him - Zelda knew Hylians were very rarely, if never, Champions. While the other races had adaptations to combat - Gorons with their hard shells, Rito with the ability of aerial combat, Zora with their dexterity, Hylians like her didn’t. They had no hardened skin, no special agility.

Out of the rumbling entryway walked the Hylian Zelda had seen at the parade. He held a soldier’s shield, a one-handed sword, and carried a bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. The Gerudo voe armour didn’t do much for protection. There was a metal piece over his left chest, and the full set of braces for his right arm. He wore a pair of sand boots, and a ruby circlet on his head. Other than that, his chest was bare with little protection.

“Give it up for… Link!”

The crowd went wild. Zelda clapped along, but something in her peripheral vision distracted her. She turned to see the Champion, Link, staring straight at her. When she stared back, he looked away.

“Unleash the beast!” The click of the lever and the groans of the cranking gears were audible. Then a deep, demonic roar that reverberated through the ground. Link held the shield in front of him and moved slowly in the direction of the gate.

Another roar. A loud crash as a huge mass propelled itself at the gates. To save the best for the last, there was only one thing Zelda could think it was. And the very thought of the creature made her skin crawl with a thousand ants, at the thought of those blazing eyes...

The mass from within hurled itself at the gate again. This time, it broke through.

The first thing Zelda saw was the matted white mane surrounding bright orange eyes. These were eyes of utter madness and complete bloodlust, nothing else. The white-maned Lynel let forth a ferocious scream. 

A cold bead of sweat ran down Zelda’s brow. Her throat tightened as she reached a trembling hand to wipe away the sweat. The Lynel stood three times taller than Link. Its body was a cruel mass of muscle, and its sword was a gigantic chunk of sharpened steel.

Escalated screaming from the crowd shook Zelda back to her senses. What? What was Link doing? He had sheathed his sword and his shield. Standing before the massive Lynel, he now stood empty handed.

Zelda felt slightly faint. The Lynel dug into the sand with its hooves and flexed its arms. With a mighty roar, it charged at Link. 

Link stood there barehanded without moving a muscle. When the Lynel was inches from him, he bent his knees slightly and lept.

Flying into the air, he somersaulted high over the Lynel. At the peak of his jump, Link whipped out his bow, nocked an arrow, took aim. The arrow hit the creature right in the neck where it exploded into orange flames. There was a faint smell of burnt fur in the air.

The Lynel roared, stunned momentarily. Link landed lightly behind it. Without hesitation, Link took off running and vaulted himself onto the Lynel’s back. An audible gasp of utter shock from the audience.

Zelda’s mouth was dry as the Lynel reared on its hind legs. It shook in a frenzy of rage and whipped out his massive sword, swinging it wildly. Link held on.

It craned its neck to get a better look at Link. Bringing its right arm to the left, the Lynel swung hard at Link. 

Link slid his body from atop its back to cling to its stomach. Too late - momentum carried the Lynel’s swing. Its sword lodged itself into its side.

Dark red blood, almost completely black, spurted out from the gash. The Lynel opened its mouth in a roar. From its mouth blasted a huge column of yellow fire into to the sky. Amidst the Lynel’s mighty roar, Link dropped to the floor and darted out from between its back legs. As he emerged, he unsheathed his sword and sliced at the Lynel’s hind leg.

The Lynel cantered a distance away. Pulling out its bow, it shot at Link.

Link dove out of the way, rolling back to his feet. He avoided the arrow, but he felt the hairs on his arm start to stand. From the corner of his eyes, he made out moving bright green lights. Then he was thrown back by the shock arrow’s electricity field.

He was thrown to the end of the arena, crashing into the same gates he had emerged from. The audience booed.

Hands slick with the Lynel’s blood, Link slipped while trying to get a grip on the walls. Half-standing, the Lynel dislodged the sword from its back and charged, swinging it from side to side.

Zelda saw Link’s eyes go wide. He whipped out his shield and half-threw himself out of the way as the Lynel thundered past. Miraculously, Link landed on his feet.

Once more, he lept at the Lynel. His sword strokes were a flurry rush, and black blood kept pouring from the many wounds of the Lynel. Now with the sword gone from the wound there was nothing to stop the flow of blood from the gash on its back. Blood poured forth like a fountain, staining the sandy floor a deep crimson.

Zelda smelled the same sickly sweet smell from the entryway in thick, noxious waves. So that was the smell under all the perfume and the sweat. Monster blood. It hung thick in the air, and Zelda wondered if it ever went away.

She watched as the Lynel gave one more roar, before shuddering to a stop. It tipped to the side and came crashing down. Link remained standing, panting heavily but triumphant.

She stood in shock at the sheer amount of blood. The arena floor was now more red than brown, and Link himself was doused completely. But she felt no sympathy for the Lynel, only pride at Link’s victory. Lynels, she knew, were the worst of all monsters. They knew no reason, no kindness. There was only hate and violence. A Hyrule with one less Lynel was better off for it.

The audience erupted once more with loud cheering. Zelda felt as if something was on her, and she turned to meet Link’s gaze once more. He held her gaze for a moment before turning away. This time, she could see his mouth twisted in a contemptuous half-smile. Carrying his bloodied sword and shield, Link turned his back on the crowd and walked out of the arena.

\---

Celebrations were in full swing when Zelda slipped out of the hall that night for a breather. She looked up to the dark blue sky. There was a cold desert breeze, strong enough that her skirts billowed as she walked further out.

The desert was as quiet as the scene she had left behind was noisy. She descended the side steps to the ground below. Here, the winds were gentle and did not stir.

Exhilaration from the matches still coursed through her. She thought back to the Champions. They didn’t seem mortal, they seemed like powerful gods. They had taken down these gigantic monsters that destroyed so many things and killed so many people, just like that.

Yes, Zelda thought, it was right that these people were so celebrated. They were so strong. So fast. And they did something so important for the people. She felt her heart swell, the air overflowing into a breathy laughter.

She heard the squealing of bats. The rumbling of the ground. A gust of wind, and her skirts blew around. A large shadow fell over her.

Whirling around, Zelda found herself face to face with three Moblin Stal monsters. She let out a scream as she backpedalled, hands extended, searching for support. 

The first Stal stepped forward. He brandished a rusted claymore. Zelda’s eyes locked onto the sword. She felt her right leg go weak, and her knee buckled. Her back slammed into a pillar, hard.

Movement, right by her ear. Zelda raised a clammy hand to her cheek. It came away dark under the faint moonlight.

Her breath came in short spurts as she gasped for air. The Stal raised his claymore over his head. Zelda squeezed her eyes shut and screamed.

A whoosh of air above her head. The crash of metal hitting its mark. It took a few seconds for Zelda to realise that she was still thinking, still breathing. She cracked her eyes open.

Link stood with his back facing her, breathing ragged. His sword was drawn. On the ground lay skeleton pieces, scattered.

He stood back up. Sheathing his sword, he started to walk away. Zelda scrambled to her feet and started after him.

“Hey, Link right?” He stopped walking, and she almost walked straight into him. Her words came out in a rush. “Thank you for saving me. And, I really enjoyed the fight just now. I think you’re really strong and cool, taking down the Lynel just like that! You’ve saved so many people and -”

Link turned around. His eyes were pure fury. He stalked towards Zelda, and she stumbled backwards until her back met the cool stone pillar.

He lowered his face within inches of hers. He still smelled of blood. 

“Strong?” his voice was low and rough. It came out as a whisper, almost a hiss. “Cool? I _saved people_? You don’t know, don’t you?”

He paused as if waiting for a reply. Zelda swallowed, throat dry. “D-don’t know what?” She managed to eek out.

Hang on. Her father was the king. She was a princess. Jutting out her chin, she straightened her back. “I know more than you think I do. I may have been raised in the outskirts. But I know what you Champions are. You’re the best warriors of each race. You’re chosen people. And you fight monsters that destroy homes and kill people in arenas.”

Link threw his head back and let out a bark of laughter. “Isn’t that nice, the princess thinks she’s got it all right.”

“If you know I’m the princess, you know who my father is. He won’t let you treat me this way.”

“Do you think you’re the first princess he’s paraded?” Link smiled. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Everyone knows about King Rhoam’s multitude of affairs. I’m beginning to lose count.”

Zelda felt as if she had been smacked in the face.

Link snorted with derision. He shook his head. He fixed his eyes on her once more. “That’s right. You didn’t even know that about yourself. And hey, you definitely don’t know this, but monsters weren’t real. Until people like your father,” he spat those words out. “Decided to make them real. Do you know what they do? They grind up animal horns and hoofs - what makes an animal really an animal - to make monster extract.” 

He searched her eyes for a reaction. When she finally looked at him, he continued, “they bring in beasts, animals to the arena and feed them the extract. They change and the people laugh with joy. Today was an exception.

“It’s not just animals. There’s prisoners, too. A person with monster extract is your recipe for a Lynel. The man I killed today, he had been arrested for some made-up crime because the prisons were getting a bit too empty.” Link smirked. He leaned back and took a few slow steps backwards. In the dark, the ruby circlet that rested on his forehead gleamed black. Her skirts, now still, glowed a dull grey.

Zelda gritted her teeth. “And you choose to do this. Who’s worse?”

Link blinked.“You think this is my choice? That’s cute.” A devilish smile split his face. “Watch this.”

As he walked slowly backwards, arms behind his back, he opened his mouth wide. And before Zelda’s very eyes, his tongue dissolved into black gunk, evaporating into a sinister purple vapour that floated away into the night sky. His mouth was teeth, throat, gums, and nothing else. Zelda fell to her knees.

Zelda thought about the desert sand, coarse and rough, how it never seemed to find its way onto her father’s clothes. How during the party, his hands had rested on the hips of a foreign woman. She thought about Wandha and the other warriors, how they had looked at her. Of the strange atmosphere of the arena, exhilarating yet dirty. Of the blazing sun, and the now bright moon that stared balefully from the dark night sky.

Link smirked with a now voiceless mouth, and disappeared into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a darker story for this one. am thinking of expanding it into a full-length story, but that's something for another day. 
> 
> let me know what you think of it! once again, thanks for reading :)


	3. here today, gone tomorrow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a story like most others of its kind. Yes, it goes the way it always has.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING: depiction of gun shot in the following work, mild violence.

This is a story like most others of its kind.

This is a story about a love that blossoms from a small seed. Over time it grows taller and stronger, and from its tender bud it blossoms into a million beautiful flowers - pink ones, blue ones, small ones, ones with large petals. Yet there is no space that can be allotted for these beauties, and more often than not the space they take up chokes and strangles the host. As the branches grow and twine around the bronchioles and alveoli, the petals have nowhere to go but out. One petal, two petals, until the entire flowers themselves are forced from the tiny space in the hosts lungs, a forced outpouring of unrequited love.

Yes, this story goes the way it always has.

 

I.

“Miss Zelda! Miss Zelda!”

Link’s leather shoes sent water splashing up as he ran through the flooded parking space. He hurried to the front of the building, his outstretched hands held the blue umbrella forward, ready to pass to another. As a result, his black suit was almost completely soaked.

From the building entrance, Zelda looked up and scowled. With an apologetic smile at her companion, she turned to face Link.

“Tell my father that I do not need a babysitter,” she called out. “Head back home yourself, please. I shall depart with Mr Revali for our meeting.”

Before Link could reach her, she turned around and walked off. A man with a head of grey hair with white streaks despite his youth, smirked at Link before following Zelda. He opened his black umbrella and, linking arms with Zelda, walked out to the parking lots. As they passed Link, neither turned to acknowledge him.

Link stood there as Revali opened the side door of his car for Zelda before taking the driver’s seat. Soon after, their car departed.

He sighed in frustration. Two weeks ago, Link had been hired by King Rhoam as a bodyguard for his daughter Zelda. With the voting of a controversial bill that would guarantee much greater social and financial security for the bottom 30% of the population ahead, it was no secret that the royal family had found disfavour in the eyes of many powerful aristocrats due to their supportive involvement. Fearing the worst, King Rhoam went against his daughter’s wishes and hired Link, despite Zelda never having a personal bodyguard in her life.

She had been interesting, to say the least. She had iron in her speech and steel in her eyes, she stood with her back straight and head held high. Link could see why she was so respected by the people. She was a general for the leaderless masses, one that people wanted to follow and one who cared for the people.

Now if only she accorded the same care to me, Link sighed as he headed back to his car. But there again, if he were in her shoes, he probably wouldn’t have liked to be forced to be looked after by someone. Especially with her independent streak, he’d just have to earn her respect. 

Well, a job was a job, and duty was duty. Link folded up his umbrella and climbed into the car. With a squeal of tires, he headed down the road to where Zelda and Revali had gone.

 

II.

Link and Zelda waited outside the doors to the meeting room. She was there to meet with the new CEO of an oil company about the bill, a certain Mr. Cellini. Link had found that name familiar. There had been a feeling that he couldn’t shake.

Soon enough, the lift down the hallway gave a happy ping. A lady in a mink fur coat stepped out. She removed her sunglasses as she walked, shaking her head of blonde curls.

Link felt as if he had been electrocuted. He had seen her a few weeks before. King Rhoam had thrown a party, partly in effort to recruit supporters from the upper echelons of society for the upcoming bill. He had seen her speaking to a bearded man, whispers of planned treason against the royal family.

Quickly, he leaned slightly nearer to Zelda and whispered hurriedly. “Miss Zelda, please be careful. I’ve overheard her at a party before, and she plans to ruin your family.”

“Is that so,” Zelda remarked. “Yet my family has worked with the Cellini family for decades now.”

“Please, Miss Zelda. Just...be careful around her.” Link thought back to that night, and a cold shiver went down his back. Surely, they had been exaggerating on the scale of events. But still, he couldn’t shake the feeling of danger. Over the years, he had learned to trust his instincts on these things.

Zelda looked at Link for a moment. “Alright. I appreciate your concern. I’ll be careful.” They continued to stand in silence.

Ms Cellini reached them a little later, and she entered the board room with Zelda, leaving Link standing guard outside.

An hour later, Ms Cellini emerged. She frowned as she marched past Link without acknowledging him. He entered the room to find Zelda still seated at the meeting table. Her hands were clasped in front of her on the table, and her young face looked worried. She looked a little pale. As Link walked in, she looked up at him and gave a tired smile.

“I’ve got to go back and report to my father that henceforth, we will not do business with the Cellini family,” Zelda sighed. She stood up and gave another smile, more genuine this time. “I do appreciate your concern, Link. You didn’t have to press matters when it was clear that I wasn’t receptive, yet you did. Please do tell me what you know about Ms Cellini later that might concern us.”

She had never asked for his opinion on such matters. Link felt honoured, that maybe she was starting to respect him a bit. He bowed. “Of course, Miss Zelda.”

 

III.

April rolled around, and Zelda was now much less adverse to Link’s presence. Rather than seeing him as a burden, she had started to view him as an asset and more importantly, as a friend.

“You said that it’s better to exclude this territory from clause 58?” Zelda sat in her desk in her office, typing away at her computer. Link stood by the side of the table.

“That is correct, Miss Zelda. Territory R4 belongs to the Belclausen family, and has for 14 generations if I recall correctly. Including it in the clause will spark outrage, they’re not known for taking these things nicely. Besides, it doesn’t do much for the bill as a whole, and is better off excluded.”

Zelda stopped typing and looked at Link. She smiled. “If I had known that you were familiar with Hyrule’s history, social and otherwise, I would have enlisted your help sooner. Where did you graduate from again?”

“Hyrule University, Miss Zelda. With a degree in Hyrule Historia and Sociology.”

“And with black belts in seven different styles of combat,” Zelda nodded appreciatively. “And please, Link, drop the ‘Miss Zelda’ when we’re not in public, alright? Friends don’t need to call each other so formally.”

“If you insist, Miss -” Zelda glared up at him balefully and he grinned. “- Zelda. Zelda.” He felt something stir in the pit of his stomach. What had he eaten for dinner? “If you’ll excuse me for a moment.” He took a bow and left the room. From there, he ran to the nearest restroom.

Flinging the door open, he ran inside and slammed it shut. His stomach lurched and he fell to his knees in front of the toilet. Retching, he felt a mass travel up his throat and out of his mouth. Coughing, he wiped the tears from his eyes and looked into the toilet bowl. 

Inside, eight perfectly formed pink petals floated on the water surface. Link’s eyes widened as he stared in horror, panting. No. No, it couldn’t be. But the evidence was staring him straight in the face. He thought about Zelda, her steeliness, her capability. The rare times she had laughed, he had felt so happy to have witnessed those scenes. Their conversations on the way to various appointments. How, when she talked about serving the nation, her eyes had reflected the very stars in the sky.

Link gave a throaty cough and, like a mockery, another petal flew up and landed on his tongue. He felt the velvety surface of the petal and spat in out into the toilet bowl. Now what? He took a shuddering breath and flushed the toilet. As the water formed a whirlpool and the petals were sucked into the vortex, Link sat down heavily and closed his eyes.

 

IV.

“You’re with me, right?” Zelda gripped Link’s hand as she stared at the double doors of the parliament house. “You’re still here, aren’t you?”

Link looked down at her. She bit her lower lip and her pupils trembled a little, slightly in shock at the magnitude of the events that had just occurred. She had done it. She had been able to finish the work and pass the monumental bill that her father had started all those years ago, despite the heavy opposition. It was times like this that Link remembered how young Zelda was. Younger than him, even, though it was just by a few months (it had been an interesting revelation, him refusing to believe Zelda was that accomplished at such a young age, and Zelda claiming likewise).

“You did it,” Link whispered back. “You can do this. I’m here with you.”

“But Ms Cellini, what she said -”

“You’re wearing the vest, aren’t you?”

Zelda nodded again. “You are too, right? And you haven’t been well lately, don’t think I haven’t noticed you running to the toilet now and then.”

Her words smacked Link in the face. He had thought he was quite inconspicuous, but apparently not enough for her not to notice. The disease was getting worse and worse, progressing from petals to whole flowers now. He had been doing his research and knew he had, at best, a month left before it would be too late for surgery. But he held out, knowing that there would be time after the parliament meeting of that day.

Link nodded. “Yeah.” But what he didn’t say was that the vest he wore was far inferior to hers, to get a bulletproof vest of that quality needed months to be handmade by the finest of Gerudo artisans and shipped over to central Hyrule. He wore a simple vest that didn’t really offer that much protection, but it was all they had at that time. 

“Alright. I’m ready.” Link nodded at Zelda’s words, and she pushed open the doors.

Immediately, they were swarmed with reporters. The flash of cameras went of in all directions, and they were assaulted with a barrage of questions.

“Princess Zelda! Please tell us more about the bill!”

“Your Majesty! What does the passing of this bill mean for Hyrule!”

Then, “Miss Zelda! Please tell us about what happened between the royal family and the Cellini family! Is it true that you have cut ties?”

Link’s head snapped up, and he went on full alert. Zelda was staring at the mass of reporters, answering questions left and right. Link scanned the crowd. Where? If it were him on the other side, where?

There! He saw a tiny window of a nearby building. The only one with a perfect vantage point...his gaze followed the path down and, sure enough, a tiny red dot danced on Zelda’s chest.

“Princess! Move out of the way!” Link threw himself in front of Zelda just as the gunshot rang out. Too thin - the bullet pierced through the thin vest. He landed heavily on the ground, and his breath rattled in his lungs. Distantly, he felt the quiver of a multitude of petals. He tasted lavender and a hint of lily as he lay there, stomach slick with blood and Zelda, dear Zelda, kneeling by his side.

 

V.

“Miss Zelda, if you don’t spend more time outside of this room people are going to start talking.” Link lay on his bed in the castle. The wound in his stomach was bandaged, but it sent sharp stabs of pain when he moved. He had blacked out after being shot, but apparently Zelda had called an ambulance. He had been treated and now rested back at the castle, where Zelda had not left his side since.

“Who cares, my best friend has just been shot.” Zelda said with a pout. Her eyes were puffy and still red, and her voice was nasal since her nose was blocked. “I thought you _died_. Weren’t you wearing a vest? You told me you were wearing a bulletproof vest!”

“Of inferior quality,” Link breathed out. “The good one takes a long time to get.”

“And we don’t have any of those?”

“We have one.”

“Oh.” Zelda’s eyes widened. “And you gave it to me.” Her eyes softened. “I can’t thank you enough, Link.”

Link gave a feeble cough. “Was nothing,” he choked out. He coughed again, and felt a now familiar itchiness in his throat. Flailing, he looked around for a basin as he heaved, trying to keep it down.

“Here, use this.” Zelda thrust a basin under Link’s chin. He was relieved for a moment before he realised. _Zelda_ did that. _Zelda_ was there. Urgently, he flailed for her to leave, pointing to the door in a shooing motion.

Zelda stood up. “Yeah, like heck I’m leaving. It’s ok, just throw up okay? You’ll feel better afterwards.”

Link made some garbled urgent noises in protest but too late. A particularly strong heave, and he couldn’t keep it down. So in front of Zelda’s very eyes, a wave of flowers poured forth from Link’s mouth: an avalanche of lilies, lavenders, carnations, roses. They kept coming as Link heaved, overflowing and tumbling onto the sheets and onto the floor. When it was over Link was left in a coughing fit, grasping desperately at his stomach as tears rolled down his cheeks. In the room was a pervading floral scent through it all.

After it was over, Link lay back down, sweaty and pale, and breathed. The vomiting and coughing hurt much more with his stomach wound. So he just breathed, riding out the pain.

His grimaced, pained look stabbed at Zelda. She stared, uncomprehendingly, at the mess of flowers around.

When Link’s breathing evened out a bit and the pain subsided, he cracked his eyes open and stared at the ceiling. Upon seeing this, Zelda spoke up.

“Oh, Link.” She knew Hanahaki’s disease when she saw it. But she couldn’t understand why Link kept it from her for so long, or how she had not noticed. So that was why he was frequently running to the toilet. But for this amount of flowers...it had to have been going on for a good eleven months, at least, from when it first begun. And no one lived with Hanahaki’s disease for more than a year before getting suffocated by the blossoming flowers or receiving surgery.

To live with this form of unrequited love, by choice or otherwise, was painful. It was a sacrifice. And if Link was willing to do this - it’s not like he didn’t have avenues or means to afford the surgery - meant that this person was truly someone he loved and cared about. It had been eleven months and his love had still not been answered.

Zelda’s own heart ached something terrible for him. Who would turn down such a person like Link? Capable and kind, smart and loyal...the realisation struck Zelda like a harsh blow. Could she be...jealous?

“Link, who is it?” She whispered.

Link continued to blink up at the ceiling. “Does it matter?” he answered harshly, softly.

“Of course it does,” Zelda replied angrily. “Don’t tell me to let you suffer by yourself. Let me help you. Link, you’re a dear friend. Please, don’t do this.”

Link turned his head a little, and his eyes widened in shock to see the tears rolling down Zelda’s face. He felt a deep ache in his chest as he felt the flowers in his lungs bloom again. He took a shuddery breath.

“If I tell you the answer, will you promise me one thing?”

Zelda nodded. “Anything. Just say it.”

“Promise me that you’ll still be my friend. No matter what.”

Zelda blinked back tears. “What kind of a request is that? Of course we’ll still be friends.”

Link took another shaky breath and closed his eyes. “It’s… it’s you.”

“What?”

“You. You’re the one.” Link squeezed his eyes shut as a single tear rolled down. He turned his face away from Zelda. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

Silence. Link felt something in his chest crack into a million pieces. He tried to imagine how Zelda was feeling then, to have the weight of a life thrust upon her. He felt so, so guilty.

But then, there were fingers lightly brushing the tears from his face.

“Why didn’t you tell me that earlier, you idiot?” Zelda whispered softly. Link opened his eyes as she cradled his face, turning his face gently for his eyes to meet hers. And slowly, gently, lovingly, she leaned down and touched her lips to his.

They were soft, unimaginably soft. Link’s eyes fluttered shut and in the breath that escaped his lips, he felt the multitude of flowers dissolve and disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hanahaki disease AUs have always been ones I remember quite clearly hmm
> 
> thank you for reading, and tell me what you think!


End file.
